                     Main Changes Scilab 3.0 -> 4.0
                     ==============================

Graphics:
=========

  - Graphical entities (objects) have been extended with a particular effort on:
    + The Axes entity with respect to change of coordinates (logscale enable, 
      axes inversion in 2D and 3D) and graduation display.
    + Versatile Title and labels entities in 2D and 3D.
    + 3D object merge and zoom.
    + Rotation of text entities.
    + Save and load of all graphical entities.

  - New functions have been defined to mimic their Matlab equivalent:
    + plot.
    + surf.
    + mesh.
    + bar, barh and barhomogenize.
    + pie.

  - Graphical Environment improved and extended:
    + Manipulation of the hierachy of the entities has been made easier thanks 
      to a hierachy browser.
  
  - Graphic window Events (mouse, keyboard,...) handling have been improved and 
    extended:
    + click, double_click, press, release ,move.
    + key press and release, with or without Shift and Ctrl modifiers.

  - xs2bmp xs2emf functions added to export graphics under bmp and EMF
    (Enhanced Meta File) formats. These functions are only available under
    Windows.

  - Colorbar function added. Thanks to Bruno Pincon.

  - Under Windows a toolbar  has been added to the graphic windows, the 
    function toolbar can be used to set or unset it.


Numerical computation:
======================

  - Sparse operations and functions like real, imag, matrix, spones revisited to 
    improve efficiency. Thanks to Bruno Pincon.

  - Bessel functions extended to work in the complex case (using Slatec routines)
    Incompatibilities: The semantics of besseli, besselj, besselk and bessely 
    functions has been changed and extended.
    The oldbesseli, oldbesselj, oldbesselk and oldbessely correspond to the old
    obsolete semantics.

  - New version of linpro and quapro. Thanks to Cecilia Pola.

  - bvodeS function added to solve differential equation with boundary value. 
    Thanks to Rainer Von Seggern.

  - detrend function added to remove constant, linear or piecewise linear trend 
    from a vector. Thanks to Bruno Pincon.

  - Interface with Excel (Functions to read Excel files).
  


Matlab to Scilab converter:
===========================

  - translatepaths function improved to allow conversion on an entire toolbox 
    agating inference throught toolbox functions.
    
  - The set of translated function has been extented in particular with the 
    basic graphic functions.
    
  - Scilab function sum, prod,... extented to the "first non singleton" matlab
    semantics to improve readability and efficiency of translated code.
    
  - Try catch construct added to Scilab for a better translation.


Scipad editor:
==============

  - A debugging tool is now available.

  - Drag'n'drop is now supported.

  - Split a Scipad window.

  - Print file from Scipad is now available.

  - Scipad is easily localized (See "Adding translations..." in the Scipad Help
    Menu). Today English, German, French, Swedish, Polish, Norwegian and Italian 
    languages are supported.

  - User settings and text colors are now configurable and save across editing 
    sessions.

  - Colorization of strings rewritten - now supports strings on continued lines.

  - Colorization of files launched in the background, with progressbar.

  - Miscellaneous file management improvements: readonly flag, 
    absolute pathnames to files, pruned pathnames display, revert to 
    saved feature, MRU (Most Recently Used) list.

  - Quick access in the file menu for recently opened/saved files.

  - Identification of Scilab predefined variables and library functions in 
    scilab scripts.

  - Keyword completion added, keyword list now completely dynamical.

  - Undo/Redo rewritten.

  - Go to... functions rewritten and expanded.

  - Find/Replace rewritten, includes find files, find in files, find in multiple 
    buffers, find in selection only, find full word.

  - Creation of XML help page templates and xmltohtml compilation available from 
    within Scipad.

Syntax:
=======

  - try-catch instruction added to improve programming with error control.


Other Improvements:
===================

  - Configure adapted to linux 64bit architectures.

  - Use tcltk 8.4.12 - TCL interface has been totally rewritten (for better 
    error detection and better data transfert). ScilabEval improve to handle 
    synchronism.

  - Memory improvements under Windows platforms (particularly the management 
    of virtual memory or swap file).
    
  - Exception management added under Windows version.

  - Windows platforms with:
    + Intel C Compiler 9.0.
    + Intel Fortran 9.0.

  - The source files have been updated to optimise the compiled version built
    with VC6 tool. Please note that the Windows binary version provided on 
    our Web site is built with .NET
    
  - Improvement of the integration of Visual Studio Compiler to the dynamic 
    links: findmsvccompiler() and configure_msvc() macros have been added.

  - Integration of the ATLAS library (specific Windows version).
    During the installation of Scilab, dynamic library (Atlas.dll) is 
    automatically chosen according to the CPU detected.
    See details in the Atlas.spec file under scilab\bin directory.
    
    Scilab can be used with Atlas library on all platforms by:
    
    + downloading Atlas library sources.
    + compiling Atlas sources.
    + compiling scilab sources with the following configure option : 
         --with-atlas-library=ATLAS_LIB_DIRECTORY
         
      (see <SCI>/configure --help).
    
  - Java interface written to allow calling Scilab computational engine from Java.

  - Font rotation is now possible under Xwindow.

  - SCI and HOME are redefined if not correct ( Bug 1488 Only for Windows ).

  - HOME variable (%HOME%) defined under Windows: c:/Documents and Setting/USER.

  - New environment variable SCIHOME:
    + Under Windows: %HOME%\scilab\SCILAB_VERSION
    + Under Linux: $HOME/USER/.scilab/SCILAB_VERSION

  - Function what() has been rewritten : alphabetical sort, print modified.

  - mkdir, rmdir, copyfile, toprint functions added for handling files and
    directories from Scilab.

  - getshortpathname, getlongpathname, winqueryreg (Registers), console, 
    mcisendstring (MCI device), clipboard, functions added for a better 
    interaction with Windows environment.

  - getos, setenv, getmemory, sleep, functions added for a better interaction 
    with the operating system (Unix and Windows).

  - The perl function as been added to allow execution of Perl scripts from 
    Scilab.

  - The calendar function has been added.


New primitives:
===============

  - clipboard (specific Windows)
  - perl
  - calendar
  - mkdir
  - rmdir
  - copyfile
  - sleep
  - getos
  - setenv
  - toprint("file")
  - getmemory()
  - getshortpathname (specific Windows)
  - getlongpathname (specific Windows)
  - toolbar (specific Windows)
  - hidetoolbar (specific Windows)
  - console (specific Windows)
  - mcisendstring (specific Windows)
  - banner
  - winqueryreg (specific Windows)
  - xls_open
  - xls_read
  - scicos_debug_count


Please note:
============

  - "xgetmouse", "eventhandler" event set extended to click, double-click, <Ctrl> Key. 
    See more details in xclick and xgetmouse on line help.
    Warning: Because of distinction of click events, some users' scripts can 
    have a different behavior.
    To make it work as before please check and modified test on events as follow:
    supposing that button contains the value returned by xclick (left most argument) 
    or xgetmouse (third componant of returned vector) then replace test like:
      button==0 by or(button==[0,3])
      button==1 by or(button==[1,4])
      button==2 by or(button==[2,5])



                     Main Changes Scilab 3.0 -> 3.1
                     ==============================
NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================
xsave and xload function now work for new graphic mode
A Scilab code debugger is now available under scipad (thanks to F Vogel)

OTHERS IMPROVEMENTS
===================
Graphic editor has been extended

Graphic entity proterties have been extended

the besseli, besselj, besselk and bessely functions have been extended
to the complex case and to non regularily spaced alpha


INCOMPATIBLITIES
================
The semantics of besseli, besselj, besselk and bessely functions has been changed and extended. The 
oldbesseli, oldbesselj, oldbesselk and oldbessely correspond to the old obsolete semantics.


                     Main Changes Scilab 2.7 -> 3.0
                     ==============================
NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================
 NUMERICAL ALGORITHMS
  - arpack algorithms for sparse matrix eigenvalues/eigenvectors computation added 
  - Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm of Minpack used to define function lsqrsolve
  - beta and legendre function added (thanks to Bruno Pincon)
  - New 1D 2D 3D interpolation functions  (thanks to Bruno Pincon)
 GRAPHICS and GUI
  - graphical editor available
  - demoplayer, variable browser, variable editor GUI added (thanks to Jaime Urzua Grez)
 MISC
  - Scicos has been extended to handle non causal systems description (supported by RNTL)
  - Matlab to Scilab translator has been re-written, and extended to current Matlab syntax.
OTHERS IMPROVEMENTS
===================
 SCICOS
  - Better discontinuities handling in Scicos
  - An enlarged set of blocks
  - A new API for simulation functions
 GRAPHICS
  - New graphic mode has been debugged and extended. It is now the default mode
  - More efficient 3D Zoom (thanks to E Segre)
  - Helvetica (Arial on Windows) fonts added (corresponding font identifiers are
    from 6 to 9) (thanks to B Pincon)
  - Graphic windows refresh improved under Windows
  - figure sizes can now be taken into account in Postscript export 
 GUI
  - Improved scipad, shortcuts, language handling, colorization, bug fixes.. 
    (thanks to Enrico Segre and Francois Vogel)
   - New imbedded help and html browser  (thanks to Jaime Urzua Grez)
   - Main Scilab window improvedunder  Windows (standard editing facilities, menus,...)
 SYNTAX
  - continue instruction added
  - [a(i,j),b(..),..]=foo(..) syntax is now handled
  - for loop variable is no more removed at the end of the loops
  - logical expressions shortcuts handled in if and while
  - functions with no argument can be called without () if called as a command
  - More efficient number parsing (thanks to Bruno Pincon)
 MISC
  - N dimensionnal matrices efficiency improved (thanks to Bruno Pincon)
  - cd, ls, clc, clf, tohome functions added
  - Elementary functions evaluation in the complex plane revisited  (thanks to Bruno Pincon)
  - History of commands rewritten to make it persistant between calls to Scilab


 PORTS
 - Scilab has been adapated to IA64 architecture

INCOMPATIBLITIES
================
- returned arguments f1 f2 f3 of interp have been transposed
- variable named cd, ls, color,... should be renamed  to avoid run time warnings
- The instructions <function_name>; used to load the sub-functions of the file 
  <function_name>.sci within a function have to be rewritten <function_name>=<function_name>;

                     Main Changes Scilab 2.6 -> 2.7
                     ==============================
THANKS
======
Scilab group wants to thank the increasing number of people who have
contributed to this new version of Scilab, with special mention to 
Anders Blomdell, Stéphane Mottelet, Dan McMahill
Ton van Overbeek, Bruno Pincon and Enrico Segre.


NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================
Slicot based control routines (www.win.tue.nl/wgs/slicot.html)
have been introduced with a special attention 
to identification functions, lyapunov, sylvester and riccati equation solvers.

Interface with TeXmacs (www.texmacs.org) a high level scientific text editor. 
The editor allows you to write structured documents via a wysiwyg interface 
including Scilab sessions and results.

An embedded text editor scipad derived from TkNotepad 
(www.mindspring.com/~joeja/programs.html) as been developped.

C Code generation from Scicos discrete models 

Blocks defining DAE are now usable in Scicos.

Statistic toolbox added (labostat).

A new graphics version based on objects and entities has been developped
(beta version). It allows to edit the properties of graphics
objects. By default, the old graphics version is used. Tu use the new graphics
version see the help of "graphics_entities".

OTHERS IMPROVEMENTS
===================
Linear algebra primitives now based on Lapack instead of Linpack/Eispack.

Basic functions revised (thanks to B Pincon).

stacksize use is no more restricted.

Hypertext, xml based, online help.

Binary Matlab file .mat loader (loadmatfile) added.

Possibility to customize graphics window event handlers (seteventhandler).

PVM interface now also works with Windows versions.

edit_graph, a graph editor for Metanet toolbox, written in Scilab, replaces
xmetanet. It works on both Unix and Windows.

INCOMPATIBLITIES
================
It is higly recommended to rebuild user's scilab functions libraries. This 
can be done as follow:
predef(0);genlib('mylib','mylib_path',%t)

gschur and gspec functions are now obsolete and replaced by schur and spec.

Geci and the communication library have been removed. Use PVM interface instead.

Metanet graph editor has been rewritten. Use edit_graph instead.

man pages have to be written in HTML or better in XML but chapters 
written in the old ascii files are still handled.

Scicos internal data structure have been changed. Automatic translation 
is made when  old diagrams are loaded.

                     Main Changes Scilab 2.5 -> 2.6
                     ==============================
THANKS
======
Scilab group wants to thank the increasing number of people who have
contributed to this new version of Scilab, with special mention to 
Anders Blomdell, Lydia Ellen van Dijk, Stephane Mottelet, Dan McMahill
Ton van Overbeek, Bruno Pincon and Enrico Segre.


NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================
Automatic graphic rescaling when combining 2D plots, axis handling

Isometric 3D plots. Thanks to Enrico Segre

3D plots shading. Thanks to Stephane MOTTELET

Error messages handling

Grep function added

Modeless message box added

Profiling of functions execution added

Real time simulation in Scicos. Thanks to Anders Blomdell

Scicos diagram linearization and fixed point computation

OTHERS IMPROVEMENTS
===================
A more professional licence

Input/Output improved (carriage return at the end of the file are not
required anymore, OS independent ascii file input, handling of opened
files )

More complete mexlib for MatlabV mex interface.

Many bug corrected in integer types manipulation

API improved, many examples given

A better window management under KDE

A better plugin interface (help, demos,...) and new Scilab functions for
building and loading interfaces.

Interactive demos for ODE and DAE solving added

Scicos' GUI improved, customizable keyboard shortcuts added

Default list, tlist and mlist display can be overloaded

It is now possible to draw dashed lines in color. Background now work
with postscript driver. Easiest argument passing to plot2d, plot3d,...
GIF driver bugs fixed.

INCOMPATIBLITY
==============
help and scicos palettes handling have changed.

Fraclab toolbox has been moved to the contributions part and is no
more  included in the package 

The Communication Toolbox (geci) is now obsolete. It will be removed in 
next release. Use PVM instead.

		     Main Changes Scilab 2.4.1 -> 2.5
		     ================================

NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================
Global variables have been introduced

New graphic mode has been added to allow scrollbar handling (panner
for X Window and scrollbars for Windows). 
GIF export format is now available for Scilab graphic windows.

Keyboard events and window closing within graphical windows can now be
captured.

Scicos graphical user interface has been made more intuitive and
keyboard shortcuts have been added.

Scilab Binary files created by "save" are now system-independent so
they can be exchanged. In particular (compiled macros) *.bin files and
*.cos (scicos diagrams) can be exchanged.

It is now possible to dynamically link C++ procedures with Scilab.

A new data type "mlist" has been added.

A new function "genlib" allows users to compile the .sci files in a
given directory, generate associated library and load it. This
function is particularly useful under windows if VC++ is not
available. 

C formatted input output functions (printf, scanf, ..) have been
interfaced to scilab.

OTHERS IMPROVEMENTS
===================
Efficiency has been improved using reference argument passing when
possible instead of value passing.

Hypermatrix opreations have been accelerated.

On X Window systems 3D Athena Widgets are preferably used instead of
standard  Athena Widgets for a better look.

The "Matlab 4" to Scilab translator has been completed and considerably
improved.



NEW TOOLBOXES
=============
True integer data types (1,2 and 4 bytes) with associated operations
and some functions acting on them have been added. 

A library of procedures has been added to allow the use of Matlab
mex-files under Scilab.

PORTS
=====
Scilab has been successfully compiled with Windows ABSOFT development
environment.

INCOMPATIBILITIES
=================
New Scilab "save"d files cannot be loaded by earlier Scilab versions.
A new function "oldsave" has been added to save in old format.

Scilab help mechanism has changed. The $MANCHAPTERS/Chapter is no more
used, instead a Scilab variable "helps" is used.





		     Main Changes Scilab 2.4 -> 2.4.1
		     ================================

Many bugs fixed.

Option "--without-pvm" added to configure to compile Scilab 
  without PVM library.

NEW MACHINES
============

Scilab runs now on MAC Mklinux and DEC Alpha Linux.

NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================

The Matlab to Scilab translator has been considerably improved.

After fixing a number of bugs, Scicos is no longer considered a beta release.

Metanet toolbox: Function "netclose" for closing a Metanet window 
                 has been added.

                     Main Changes Scilab 2.3 -> 2.4
                     ==============================

WINDOWS 95/NT
=============

This version is no longer a beta version. Incremental link is now possible.

PVM interface and Xmetanet do not work yet.

NEW TOOLBOXES
=============

m2sci: beta version of a Matlab to Scilab translator.

Fraclab: fractal and wavelet analysis.

Tksci: beta Tcl/Tk interface.

PVM: beta PVM interface (not yet available on Windows).

dcd: cumulative distribution functions and inverses...

grand: random number generators.

NEW FUNCTIONALITIES
===================

Metanet toolbox: Function "pipe_network" for solving the pipe network problem 
                 has been added.

Scicos toolbox: - New and improved formalism
                - Faster Compiler 
                - Improved GUI

Maple toolbox: The Maple to Scilab interface (maple/maple2scilab.mpl)
               has been improved. Sparse matrices are handled. There is
               now the choice between C and Fortran code generation.

Nonlinear toolbox: Addition of 2D and 3D definite integrals int2d et int3d.

Data types: N dimensional arrays have been introduced (see hypermatrices).

chdir and getcwd functions added to change and get working directory.

Floating points exception handling may be set by "ieee" function.

Overloading: It is now possible to overload display of tlist data
             structure. It is also possible to extend basic primitive
             function definition to new data types. To avoid possible
             ambiguity overloading function names have been
             changed. Old names still work, but for efficiency it
             desirable to change it. See overloading help.

Syntax: Functions with strings arguments may be called as commands.
        For instance "exec('foo.sce')" can be entered as "exec foo.sce".

        It is now possible to define functions with unbounded number
        of input and output arguments (see varargin help).

INCOMPATIBILITIES
=================

Some old Scicos diagrams may not be translated properly into Scilab 2.4.

Binary files created by "save" in Scilab 2.4 cannot be read by Scilab 2.3.

Scicos diagrams created by "save" in Scilab 2.4 cannot be read by Scilab 2.3.

